I would give them one star but they had previously replaced 3 trash disposal units for me professionally and without incident. My most recent experience with them, however, was quite different. My kitchen faucet, which is attached to a stainless steel sink, was leaking. Water splashed on the faucet base would drain between the faucet base and sink (there was no seal) and caused water to pool in the cabinet underneath. Not realizing how easy it is to replace a faucet, or that I could simply have sealed it with plumber's putty (as suggested by all the how-to videos and websites), I called JVG Plumbing.
The technician told me that I just needed to replace the faucet so I asked them to replace it with the same basic type faucet that was there before. He found one that looked very similar to the previous one and installed it without sealing the base (he said normally it wasn't necessary). The sink begins leaking almost immediately and I called them and they came out and sealed it for free. They used a caulk that requires 24 hours to dry. We used it too quickly, however, and the caulk dissolved in the water. I called them to get it sealed again and paid them since it was my own fault. They sealed it with a silicone caulk and this time I waited 24 hours before using the faucet.
The faucet started leaking again almost immediately. I starting looking online and found that faucets on stainless steel sinks should be sealed with plumber's putty. The putty never dries, so is ideal for fixtures that bend a little, such as stainless steel sinks. We also noticed after a week of use that the faucet handle was becoming more and more loose. Less than 2 weeks after they installed the faucet, I could swing the handle over half its range without changing the water temperature. If this had continued, the handle most likely would have fallen off after another week or two. I decided to purchase a faucet from Costco since the one they sold me seemed defective.
I called JVG back again and asked them to take out their defective faucet, install the one I had purchased and seal it with plumber's putty. The technician who came out just tightened the handle and said it was fixed. I asked if the handle became loose again if they would come every two weeks to tighten it and he said they could work something out to that regard. When I mentioned the leaking, he said I would need to replace the sink and that plumber's putty would not solve the problem. He also said that there should not be water near the faucet base, but who can wash vegetables or dishes without splashing a little water. I even asked if they can take out their defective faucet so that I could install the new faucet myself and they refused. Eventually the technician just walked out.
I ended up removing their faucet, which I found was misaligned and could have contributed to the leak. I installed the faucet I purchased from Costco and sealed it with plumber's putty. Its been two weeks since then and there has not been a single drop in the cabinet below.
In summary, JVG Plumbing sold me a defective faucet, did not seal it properly, and tried to convince me I needed a new sink. I paid them around $250 and ended up with a defective faucet I had to remove myself. The cost of replacing it myself, including the faucet, was around $80. I will not trust them to do any work for me again and waste more of my money and time. If you are going to call them to do plumbing work, make sure to do your own research to make sure they install and seal everything correctly.
